Visions of Atlantis' 'Pirates' - Album Review

I cannot think of many examples of bands whose later work is a significant improvement over their early releases. I can think of plenty of bands whose newer work is as good as their original albums - but not many who have improved exponentially over time. The Austrian symphonic metal five-piece Visions of Atlantis is one such act in my opinion, though, who have undergone something of a revolution since current frontwoman Clémentine Delauney joined the band in 2013. Prior to Delauney's appointment, Visions of Atlantis released five albums, went through a significant number of line-up changes, and never really got their foot through the door. I am certainly no expert on the band's back catalogue, but the older albums that I have heard certainly do not set the world alight. Symphonic metal was in vogue throughout the 2000s, and the early Visions of Atlantis albums are very much products of that time - when so many bands were trying to replicate the success of acts like Nightwish and Within Temptation. Something seemed to change when Delauney came aboard, however, and this is despite the fact that a planned reunion with the band's original guitarist, bassist, and keyboard player failed to last. At this point, drummer Thomas Caser is the only original member of Visions of Atlantis left - and the only musician to be credited on all of the band's albums. Considering that there was such a turn over of band members in the past, and that Caser is not much of a songwriter, this is potentially one of the reasons why the band's early work does not excite me all that much. No line-up was together for all that long, meaning that each album saw changes from the one previously. This was the case until recently, however, and the Visions of Atlantis of 2022 seems to very much be set in stone. The band released their eighth studio album, Pirates, last month, and it is the first Visions of Atlantis studio album to feature the same line-up as its predecessor. Pirates follows three years after the excellent Wanderers (which I reviewed here), which could well be my favourite Visions of Atlantis album. 2018's strong The Deep & the Dark kicked off the Delauney era proper the year before, but it is somewhat unclear who actually played on that album - as it seems to have put together between the breakdown of the somewhat original line-up reunion and the formation of much of the band's current line-up. Wanderers saw the band solidified, however, and also introduced Delauney's vocal partner Michele Guaitoli to the fans. Whilst Delauney has been a big songwriting force in the band since joining, and Guaitoli contributed a couple of songs to Wanderers, Pirates sees Delauney and Guaitoli striking up a fine songwriting partnership - aided throughout by producer Felix Heldt, who replaces Frank Pitters in the producer/songwriter/keyboard player role this time. Due to his significant songwriting contributions throughout the album, too, Guaitoli seems more of a vocal force on his second outing with the band - which leads to lots of excellent vocal interplay between him and Delauney throughout.

Visions of Atlantis' brand of symphonic metal is generally at the poppier and more restrained end of the genre, but more recently the band have occasionally stretched things out. The album's opener Pirates Will Return is certainly more epic than is typical of the band, and it opens slowly - with rumbling piano melodies and some dancing orchestral arrangements, before the song proper kicks off. Christian Douscha is a bit of a busier player than many of his symphonic metal peers, and Pirates Will Return opens up thanks to his powerful riffing - whilst the verses are full of crunch thanks to his rhythms. Delauney dominates the song vocally early on, singing the first verse and chorus alone, but Guaitoli takes over for the second verse - and the second chorus is sung in unison, showcasing the power of the band's dual-vocal approach. The pace slows down somewhat following this second chorus, and a chugging instrumental section takes over. It is very riff-heavy at first, with the rhythm section of Caser and bassist Herbert Glos creating the weight, but Douscha soon takes over to deliver a melodic and lengthy guitar solo - which is packed full of memorable phrases. A final reprise of the chorus follows, and the song is a perfect album opener thanks to its balance of hooks and epic symphonic arrangements. Many of the songs here are not quite as epic though, but the band's sense of melody is retained throughout. Melancholy Angel reins in the ambition somewhat, but the song is much catchier as a result. It opens with a hooky keyboard melody, before Delauney lays down a poppy verse vocal that sits nicely against Glos' pounding bassline and a reprise of the intro's keyboard melody. She stretches her wings a bit more during the choruses, which feature some pseudo-operatic vocal lines - but these sections are still extremely hooky, and the mix of her voice with Guaitoli's gives the chorus plenty of heft. Due to its simple arrangement and big hooks, Melancholy Angel is the sort of song that is sure to become a live staple for the band going forward. Master the Hurricane follows, and it is the only other real epic track here - alongside Pirates Will Return. The song opens with a driving rhythm, soaring choral vocals, and orchestral arrangements that rival bands like Epica in scope. The song is not as progressive as Epica, though, and there is still a focus on pop hooks - but they are sat against a driving Douscha riff and plenty of choral vocals. The vocal arrangement generally is much more open this time, too, with Delauney and Guaitoli constantly trading lyrics throughout. I like that Guaitoli has a bigger presence vocally throughout this album, as it helps to give the band their identity. Master the Hurricane is one of the songs here which he wrote the music for, too, and it showcases his overall scope - with the song being the most ambitious here thanks to its dynamic arrangement. Clocks is more like Melancholy Angel, however, and the song is a strong mid-paced rocker - with some playful vocal melodies that remind me a little of Nightwish's Storytime. It is the sort of song that sticks in the brain after only a couple of listens, and it makes the most of Delauney's voice thanks to the poppy nature of the vocal melodies. A few guitar leads add some overall depth, though, and Glos' bass presence is very thick - and dominates during the verses in particular.

Freedom opens more slowly, with some dark-sounding keyboard melodies - which Guaitoli soon starts to croon atop. His voice is quite expressive, and it suits the darker nature of the piece, as is Delauney's, who soon joins in singing in a lower register than is typical for her. This song proceeds in this relatively low-key manner for a while, with the two singers trading vocal lines whilst the song slowly grows around them. The keyboards form the basis of the musical backing, but strings add depth - and some percussion soon creates a bit of a rhythm. The song is relatively organic-sounding on the whole, though, or at least as organic as a symphonic metal band can realistically be. Much of the band's trademark heaviness has been stripped away here, and the song never really builds towards a big crescendo - with the closing crescendo being a big choral one that comes as a bit of a surprise, but works really well. Legion of the Seas returns to the band's typical sound, though, and it was the album's first single - so it was the first look that the fans had at what Pirates had to offer. Delauney's vocals generally set the tone on the band's songs, but this is one that Guaitoli tends to lead - which is fitting as it is another one of his compositions. His verse delivery is quite gritty, and contrasts well with the smooth, soaring pre-chorus which Delauney takes over for. Having sat out for the previous song, Douscha's riffing is back in a big way here and the heaviness returns. Caser's drumming is urgent throughout, too, his double bass playing driving everything - whilst Douscha also adds to the song's melodic offering with a catchy and fairly lengthy guitar solo. The song's chorus is where is really shines, though, and it is one of the hookiest pieces here. Wild Elysium is somewhat similar in the fact that it is very hooky, but it takes a bit more of a dynamic approach overall. The song opens with a flurry of riffing and soaring strings, but this is almost immediately stripped away as the verses tread a much lighter path - with gentle keyboards providing much of the backing to the vocals. The song grows as it moves along, though, and by the time the chorus is reached it really explodes. Some of the vocal hooks and the chorus' driving pace remind me of some of the choruses on Kamelot's more recent albums. The guitar solo section is quite Kamelot-esque, too, and it would appear that the band's 2019 tour with Kamelot has paid off somewhat in an influence context. Darkness Inside reins in some of the bombast of the previous track, and instead goes for more of a crunching, mid-paced approach. The strings and orchestral arrangements still flesh out the track, but on the whole the crunch of the guitar and the bass is left to provide the main musical meat - save for a twinkling keyboard melody that occasionally rears its head to add depth. The song is still very hooky though, and the vocal melodies contain lots of pop inflections, whilst a simple guitar solo also adds plenty of melody. Despite the simpler arrangement the song still sounds like Visions of Atlantis, and the stronger focus on the guitars is welcome.

In My World is similar, but it includes a bit of a folk influence thanks to the occasional flute melody courtesy of Ben Metzner (Feuerschwanz). He contributes flutes and bagpipes to a few songs here, but In My World is one of the songs where his playing adds the most for me. The flute melodies during the song's intro contrast nicely with the riffing and the orchestral arrangements, and they re-appear throughout to add more folkiness to the melodic song. Douscha's guitar solo follows a similar folky path, too, and there is definitely a big of a jig vibe going on throughout parts of the song - or at least a rather grand-sounding jig that is backed by an orchestra and driving riffs. The standout performer for me, though, is Delauney. Her vocal performance throughout the song is excellent, and she revisits the classical vocal approach that was flirted with earlier in the album. It plays more of a role this time, though, and it helps to add an extra dimension to the piece. Mercy ups the pace and heaviness again, and the song returns to Visions of Atlantis' core sound with a good mix of poppy vocal hooks, double bass drumming, and stabs of dramatic strings. Despite being a symphonic metal band, not all of the band's songs are overtly dramatic or rely on classic symphonic metal tropes. Mercy is one that does, though, and it is certainly one of the biggest-sounding pieces here - with lots of big choral vocal sections and a particularly gritty vocal from Guaitoli. There is lots of good guitar playing from Douscha, too, who gets plenty of time to show off with a lengthy guitar solo. Heal the Scars opens up slowly, with some piano melodies which Delauney soon sings over the top of. It is the album's only true ballad, as Freedom never really felt like a proper ballad despite its slower pace, and it brings the best out of Delauney vocally - who's delicate side is put on display here. Her poppy delivery still carries plenty of emotion, and she sits nicely atop the piano and keyboard melodies - and there are shades of early Sharon den Adel in her delivery. Metzner's bagpipes add the occasional melody, and a surprising amount of emotional depth (from someone who is not a lover of bagpipes), but generally this is a song that is all about Delauney - as there is very little that stands in the way of her excellent vocal performance. The album comes to a close with the crunching, mid-paced I Will Be Gone, which is another piece that goes for an epic sound. There is always something about slower paced symphonic metal tracks that make for perfect album closers, and I Will Be Gone is one such piece. Douscha's guitar playing is weighty and deep-sounding here, whilst more bagpipes add some melodic hooks. The verses are generally quite bass-heavy, but the winning section of the song for me is the chorus - which sees both Delauney and Guaitoli singing together in harmony to create a huge sound. It is another chorus here that sticks in the brain after only a couple of listens, and the huge orchestral arrangements throughout ensure that the song sounds massive - even though it is not as long and expansive and some of the other pieces here. It ends the album on a high, but in truth much of the album is of a similar quality. Pirates, for me, continues on perfectly from where Wanderers left of in 2019 - and it builds nicely on what the band did previously. It is great to see Visions of Atlantis finally thriving, and this current line-up will certainly be seen as the band's golden age in the future.

The album was released on 13th May 2022 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Legions of the Sea.